Display-case warmer



July 31, 1923. 19463179 A. G. STEPHENS DISPLAY CASE WARMER Filed July 5, 1921 9 flfmazf ai" ,5 fii zw a g j jb p276,

Patented July 31, 1923.

NIT o s I ALBERT G. STEPHENS, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

DISPLAY-CASE WARNER.

Application filed July 5,

and the object'of the invention is to attractively display the nuts in a practically airtight glass container which will protect them from moisture and other atmospheric conditions while exposing the quality of the stock to the customer at all times.

A further object is to remove the contents always from the bottom so all of the stock will be uniformly taken out instead of portions being allowed to remain to become stale as would occur if removal was from the top.

Another and very important object of my invention is to keep only that limited part of the contained product hotwhich is at the discharge outlet, and to avoid heating the remaining and by far the major portion which would become rancid and stale if heated for many hours before being sold, particularly if subjected to alternate heat and cold, as heat during the business hours of the day and cold during the closed hours at night.

I accomplish the above principal objects, and other minor ones which will hereinafter appear, by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1, is a front perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2, is a longitudinal vertical section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views of the drawing.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in the drawing a horizontal floor or base 4 forms the support for a rectangular box comprising a front 5 a back 6 and the ends 7 and 8. The upper edge of this'boxwill preferably be widened by a frame 9. Resting upon the frame 9 is a rectangular glass superstructure comprising a front 10, back 11, ends 13, and a top 14, which is fastened to the frame 9 by means of metal angle-plates 15. The rectangular superstructure thus 1921. Serial No. 482,312.

formed is divided into the desired number of compartments, here shown as five, a, b, c, d and e, by means of glass partitions 16'. This separation is made for the purpose of providing independent receptacles for nuts of difl'erent kinds or differently prepared ones of the same kind. As shown in Fig. 1, I

compartment a is made a depository for filberts, compartment 1) for shelled and unsalted peanuts, compartment 0 for peanuts in the shell, compartment d for shelled salted peanuts and compartment e for shelled pecans. Each of said compartments discharges into a separate hopper 16 in the form of a truncated inverted pyramid, which will preferably be made out of sheet metal having a highly polished inner surface. Each hopper 16 discharges into an individual trough comprising vertical and parallel side walls 18, and a combined front and bottom 19, which in effect is a continuation on a curve of the front of the hopper 16.

The 'back 6 of the rectangular box is provlded with a discharge opening opposite each of the hopper-troughs, and the combined front and bottom 19 extends on a gradual curve from the front hopper-wall 16 to the bottom of the discharge opening in side 6, where it is secured in any usual and suitable manner. I The sides 18 of the troughs extend into and part way through their respective discharge openings in side 6, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. Each of said discharge openings is provided with a metal door 20 which is hinged at its bottom to the bottom of its opening, and to keep the nuts from falling out on each side of the door when the latter is opened, I provide the metal side-plates 21 which are moved back and forth between the respective troughwalls 18 and adjacent sides of the openings in the member 6. These plates have suitable projections 22 to contact with the member 6 and limit the opening of door 20 to about the angle shown in Fig. 3, which is above a horizontal plane, to arrest the discharge of nuts when the door is opened.

As the consuming public prefers hot peanuts and cold filberts and pecans, I provide an electric heating unit 24, which is secured by metal straps 25 riveted to the undersides of the hopper bottoms 19, close to the discharge openings through. the box-side 6. This electrical heating unit extends under the troughs of receptacles b, c, and d, as

shown in Fig. 2, but does not extend under trough receptacles a and e; and it is insulated from the hoppers and troughs of receptacles a and e by asbestos partitions 26.

The bottom 4 is insulated by an asbestos lining 27. The electrical heating element 24 is in circuit with any suitable source of current (not shown), and attached to the end 8 of the box is a switch 29 of usual construction.

The shapes of the hoppers and their troughs leave ample room in the box in which they are assembled for the installation of a lamp 30, which is opposite a window 31 in the front 5 of the box, and on this window I preferably display-a legend calling attention to the hot nuts offered for sale.

The side 11 01? theglass superstructure is in two horizontally divided parts-to provide a door member 33 capable of being opened for the renewal of the contents of the several compartments of the superstructure. This member 33 is secured by hinges 34: and a latch 35, and to add to the strength of the glass superstructure on this side, which is subjected to considerable strain in openingand closingthe door, T provide metal angleplates 36 which are bolted to the adjacent glass members.

To keep the heat from the electrical heating unit out of the nuts in the hopper and receptacle discharging into it, and also to further restrain the discharge from the hopper, T provide aplate-extension 36 inwardly of the hopper from the inner edge of its rear wall 16.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The receptacles are filled with the desired kinds and quantities of nuts through the side 6.

closed by door 33, and they will the opening filling the hoppers of When a door 20 is open to the'position as shown in Fig. 3, to serve a customer, the nuts will be removed with a hand-scoop in the usual manner, and only the hottest nuts condition of the box contents may be mean/e will be taken out; they will be immediately replaced by automatic discharge through the hopper.

Havin thus fully described my invention what I c aim as new and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a display vending and warming-case, a glass receptacle, a' hopper having a discharge opening through which the receptacle discharges through said hopper, a plate extending inwardly of the hopper from the inner rear edge of the hopper, a curved side and bottom against which the hopper discharges and which in part define a trough, said trough having a discharge at one side of the hopper discharge, a hinged closure for the trough discharge, and a heating element under said trough discharge adjacent said closure to warm the vended product.

2. In a display, vending, and warming case, a box, a glass superstructure supported by the box, a hopper bottom for said superstructure in the form of an inverted truncated pyramid, a plate extending inwardly ot the hopper from the inner rear edge of the hopper, members forming a trough into which the hopper discharges said members comprising a side and bottom which slope gradually from the lower edge of the front of the hopper to a. discharge opening in the back of the box, a removable closure for the discharge in the back of the box and an electrical heating element under the trough near said closure.

3. In a device for the purposes specified, a box having a sight opening in its front through which a legend stating the heated viewed, said box having a discharge opening through its back, a receptacle superimposed upon the box having a bottom in the form of an inverted truncated pyramid, a restricted discharge from the bottom of the receptacle through the opening in the back of the box, said bottom sloping toward the opening to mass the contents near the opening, a door hinged at its lower edge forming a closure to the discharge opening in the box, an electrical heating element under said massed contents and an electric light opposite the sight opening and located within the box to attract attention to a legend when exposed through the opening.

Signed at Indianapolis, Indiana, day of July, 1921.

ALBERT Gr. STEPHENS.

this 1st 

